WhatsAbove / Cities / California / Palmdale
Live planes and satellites over Palmdale, CA
The scope below is live: every trackable aircraft and satellite above Palmdale right now, centered on 34.5794, -118.1165. Click anything for callsign, route, altitude, and more.
Tonight
Visible passes for the next 12 hours — sun-lit satellite, dark sky at your point.
Nearest major airports
With Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport (PMD) only 4 miles to the northeast, Palmdale sits directly under active approach and departure paths — expect frequent low-altitude traffic between roughly 2,000 and 8,000 ft, with the direction of flow flipping when the wind changes.
About the sky over Palmdale
Palmdale (California) has a population of about 158,351 and sits at 34.5794°N, 118.1165°W. Aircraft on this page come from the crowdsourced ADS-B network (coverage over metro areas like this is typically excellent); satellites are computed in your browser from published orbital elements — several hundred are above the local horizon at any moment.
What planes fly over Palmdale?
Most identifiable traffic over Palmdale is tied to Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport (PMD), 4 miles to the northeast, plus WJF (13 mi) and EDW (26 mi). Add high-altitude cruise traffic passing over on airway routes. The live scope on this page shows each one with callsign, route, and altitude.
How many satellites are above Palmdale right now?
Several hundred cataloged objects are above Palmdale's horizon at any moment — mostly Starlink, plus stations, science payloads, and decades-old relics. Open the SPACE tab on this page for the live, computed count at 34.5794, -118.1165.
Can I see the ISS from Palmdale?
Yes. The ISS passes over California several times most weeks; visible passes happen when the station is sunlit while the sky over Palmdale is dark — typically 1–3 hours after sunset or before sunrise. The Tonight panel on this page computes exact times, directions, and durations.